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An Urban Meyer vs. Nick Saban rematch?

Jerry Palm of cbssports.com has said it. Alabama will return to the BCS National Championship game next season in a match-up with Ohio State. If it happens, it would mean a rematch between Nick Saban and the man he sent to the emergency room shortly after his 2009 thrashing in the SEC Championship Game.

The term “processed” has become one of value to Tide fans. Nick Saban has preached the word from the start at Bama. But the list of coaches and programs he has processed has been long and entertaining. Here are just a few:

• Phil Fulmer and Tennessee
• Tommy Tuberville and Auburn
• Urban Meyer and Florida
• Sly Croom
• Bobby Petrino
• Gene Chizik and Auburn, a second time
• Derrick Dooley and Tennessee, a second time
• The entire University of Texas football program (on and off the field)

The look on Urban Meyer’s face when he realized Nick Saban had ended his ride at Florida.The notion of being “processed” is this: You get the ax when a program sees their coach get dominated by the golden standard in college football, and immediately deem they can’t keep up with Alabama with you as their head coach. Or, it happens when your program keeps you but you and your team become irrelevant.

In Meyer’s case, he did it to himself. In fear, the Urban legend retired from the game “to spend more time with his family,” only to emerge about a year later as a candidate at Ohio State as their ship began to sink.

Now, let’s be real. As Bama has proven in all three of its National Championship runs in the last four years, it takes a great deal of luck and good fortune going your way to play for the crystal football. But if Palm is correct and Ohio State does become the unlucky opponent against Saban’s Tide, it’ll be interesting to watch the rest of Meyer’s career at Ohio State if Nick Saban does to him what he just got finished doing to Notre Dame.

8 Comments

I wouldn’t include Sly Croom and Bob Petrino on the list of coaches that were “processed” by Nick Saban. Sure, they lost their jobs during Saban’s tenure at UA but there were other reasons besides being unable to defeat Saban. Croom (who was 1-1 against Saban) was a dead man walking almost from the time he took over in Starkville and Petrino got the axe because he couldn’t keep his penis in his drawers. If he hadn’t wrecked that motorcycle he’d most likely still be in Fayetteville today. You could almost take Derek Dooley off this list too although you can make a better case for him being on it than you can Croom and Petrino. All the rest I agree with. There’s still one more addition and I don’t think Saban retires until he gets it—Les Miles.

You make good points on both Petrino and Sly. Sly beat Saban in his first season in Tuscaloosa, on a team that was a wreck by that point in the season…and far from a true “Saban” team. Still, good thoughts.

I may be in the minority in liking Les Miles. You may be right there too, but Saban would know what kind of job that one is in Baton Rouge. If anything CNS likely has respect for the job Miles has done, while at the same time is baffled that their last taste of glory came, again, in his first season at ‘Bama.

The hype the overrated Bugeyes are getting this offseason is hilarious. A 12-0 probation.season where your best wins came against the #24 and 25 teams is not much to brag about. They’ve won 1 NC since 1968. I LMAO at them claiming 1961 and 1970 as national champions. They’ve only beat 2 teams(2002 Miami and 1996 Arizona State) that finished the year in the top 5 over the last 35 years. Their bowl record is 19-23, ranking only 16th in most bowl wins. Sagarin ranked their schedule 60th last year. Their last 6 year average is 51st. They play one notch above a midmajor. Their schedule this season is beyond weak. If they make the NCG, they’ll get blown out again.

Is it ironic that tOSU elected to forego their bowl ban only to lose to Florida the year before they otherwise would have gone to the national championship game?

I grew up in Ohio. tOSU has the same attitude Auburn preaches, and, like Auburn, they’re proud of it.

“It’s us against the world.”

I hate that idea. It blinds everyone who holds it up. Say what you want about the tattoos, drugs, cars, and other issues tOSU had so many troubles with, they “only” got a year’s worth of probation for it and they still celebrate the man who held the damning evidence.

I don’t understand that at all. But it definitely fits their cult mantra. He’s one of us, so he’s all of us.

Now, instead of beating (?) Notre Dame for a national title, they have a banner in their trophy room for an undefeated season. They were nearly beaten last year by some terrible teams, and this year everyone will be out for revenge against the strongest team in their conference. I’d love to see Alabama destroy tOSU in a title game, but I don’t think tOSU is going to be able to make it there except for their schedule being smoother than a baby’s bottom on a polished mirror.

ITK, speaking of a chuckle or two, I find it very humorous that on the national message boards (yahoo sports) the Buckeye nation is oblivious to Coach Meyer being processed and the occasional one or two who does acknowledge what happened seems to think it was more of a Florida thing. Hahahaha, please oh please let Bama have a shot at them. It will be an instant classic the Bama Nation will fondly relish a long time.